Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab: Flexibility is the new work life currency

A new report, Future of Work Life, from Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab examines how
employees and employers navigate the current work environment and their views on the future
of work shaped by the pandemic, digitalization and the fluctuating labor market.
The way people spend their work hours has been the same for a long time, but the pandemic
was a major disruptor of this. Work has changed and will continue to change going forward.
Almost half (48 percent) of the employees in the study say that they enjoy increased flexibility at
work. 52 percent consider flexible work hours or locations as key requirements, and 25 percent
say that flexibility is the top priority if they would start to look for a new job. Doing work rather
than going to work is seen as central in this new way of thinking about work life.
Employers need to embrace digitalization and flexible workforce management, and this can be
done by creating a workplace of the future that supports human collaboration, simplifies work
and values employee input in decision making.
Key findings:
 Flexibility is the new work life currency. Employees predict flexibility as a future
employment need as hybrid work continues to be the norm as 25% of the global working
population say they will prioritize flexibility above all else.
 Digital technologies renew employee confidence. Using the right digital technologies
boost twice as much positive feelings for employees without increasing stress.
 Decision-makers and employees are increasingly at odds over technology. Only
33% of employers consider employee preferences when investing in new technology as
4 out 10 employees struggle with non-relevant tools for their tasks.
 Flexible workplaces may come at the cost of increased surveillance. Balancing
visibility and privacy is a challenge and concern for hybrid work. 65% of employees who
are optimistic about technologically-enabled flexibility also believe it will be tied to an
increase in monitoring.
 Globalized labor markets bring talent and concerns to employers. Decision makers
in emerging markets agree loyalty is declining with the rise of remote jobs.
 Five employee paths shape the future of work. Employees prioritize flexibility (24 %)
digitalization (20 %), project-based work (12 %), or career (19 %) and financial stability
(25%).
“Based on our research, it is quite clear that the future of work is going to be increasingly
dependent on ICT solutions such as high-speed, globally available mobile connectivity. We felt
the pandemic could finally be seen in the rear-view mirror, and therefore wanted to take a closer
look at what changes in peoples worklife had stuck, and what was only a temporary adjustment!
My own favourite take-away is that remote work is clearly here to stay – maybe not exactly at
the level as was measured during the pandemic, but still at significantly higher levels than
before the pandemic!” – Anders Erlandsson, Head of Ericsson IndustryLab

"Amidst the rapid digitalization brought on by the pandemic, our research highlights a
concerning gap between the technology available in the workplace and the needs of employees
for flexible working. With 6 in 10 companies lacking relevant technology for their staff, and just 2
in 10 employees feeling they have relevant tools at workplace there is a pressing need for
organizations to invest in digital tools and robust connectivity that enable remote collaboration
and flexibility, not only to attract and retain top talent, but also to stay competitive in the post-
pandemic world." – Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab
The research was carried out during 2022 within 30 markets globally; 38,000 online surveys of
employees plus 3,600 online surveys of decision-makers and 11 in-depth interviews with
decision-makers from selected industries within three markets; China, Spain and US.
Link to report page
NOTES TO EDITORS:
FOLLOW US:
Subscribe to Ericsson press releases here
Subscribe to Ericsson blog posts here
Tweets by ericsson
https://www.facebook.com/ericsson
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ericsson
MORE INFORMATION AT:
Ericsson Newsroom
media.relations@ericsson.com  (+46 10 719 69 92)
investor.relations@ericsson.com  (+46 10 719 00 00)
ABOUT ERICSSON:
Ericsson enables communications service providers and enterprises to capture the full value of
connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the following business areas: Networks, Cloud Software and
Services, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform, and Technologies and New
Businesses. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue
streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband
to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.
www.ericsson.com